Law on rights of persons with disabilities notified

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill provides for raising reservation in government jobs for people with benchmark disabilities from three to four percent, and in higher education institutes from three to five percent.

indiaUpdated: Dec 30, 2016 17:39 IST

PTI, New Delhi

Disabled people celebrate the passage of The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2016 by the Lok Sabha, in New Delhi.(PTI file photo)

The government notified the recently passed Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill which provides for raising reservation in government jobs for people with benchmark disabilities from three to four percent, and in higher education institutes from three to five percent, Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said on Friday.

“The bill was passed by the parliament in the winter session and was sent to the President for his assent. After the nod from the President, it was notified on Wednesday,” Union social justice and empowerment minister Thaawarchand Gehlot said on the foundation day of the National Trust.

Gehlot also launched the mobile app and Facebook Page of the National Trust on Friday.

“Through the app, information regarding the schemes and programmes will be disseminated. The Facebook page was launched with an aim to bring together all NGOs and organisation working in this field on the same platform,” Gehlot added.

With the enforcement of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years will have the right to free education.

The legislation has been made to bring Indian laws in line with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The types of disabilities have been increased from the existing seven to 21.

Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept and the government will have the power to add more types of disabilities.

According to the Act, assaulting, insulting, intimidating, denying food to a person with disability or sexually exploiting a disabled woman and performing a medical procedure on such women without consent which may lead in termination of pregnancy will draw a jail term up to five years once the law is passed.

Any person who contravenes any provision of the act will be punished with a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh.